At Carroll College, our CORE 110 classes provide first-year students with an innovative introduction to the liberal arts, blending critical thinking, interdisciplinary analysis, and essential academic skills. These writing seminars, each centered on a unique theme, offer students the opportunity to engage deeply with topics that inspire curiosity and personal growth.
One standout example is Fighting, Writing, and Virtue, taught by Associate Professor of Philosophy and Theology Eric Hall. This seminar explores the ancient Greek insight that cultivating virtue parallels the physical discipline of training the body. Through the practice of jiujitsu, students examine the principles of progressive overload and skill acquisition as they relate to moral and intellectual development. The course pairs physical activity with philosophical reflection, encouraging students to practice virtue as they refine their writing skills.
Insightful, thought-provoking, and delightfully puzzling: I never thought these words could describe a class that involved jiujitsu. But the class Fighting, Writing, and Virtue managed it. This class explored the connections between practicing a skill like jiujitsu and acquiring virtue, inspiring me to practice virtue like I would any other physical activity. Highly recommend this class that changed my outlook of the world and gave me a love for jiujitsu! ~ Mingmei Szymanowski, Spokane, WA
"Growing up, I had (and still have) my own issues of simply sitting down and listening to lectures, important as they are. I wanted to give students a chance to learn a really important educational material—the cultivation of good moral habits called virtues—by practicing something like them physically," said Professor Hall. "Fighting, Writing, and Virtue combines a sport I personally enjoy with the educational analogy that we can develop good virtue in the same way we develop good jiujitsu. Voilà! Fighting, Writing, and Virtue was born, and those who join the class get to learn a foundational martial art, which itself is the educational occasion for becoming a force for the Good as we think about, write about, and actually cultivate virtue.
This class is a great and fun way to learn a new discipline, important writing skills, and the importance of living a good virtuous life. ~ Colton Tietje, Jefferson City, MT